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Question

what is the definition of footbinding- accoridng to a woman's perspective

photos would put you in higher chance of best answer!

and has foot binding increased or decreased women's power and why?!?

Answer 1

Foot binding was a custom practiced in China where they would break the feet of young girls and bind them tightly, so that their feet would only be about 3-6 inches long.

http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/chin...

This website has a few pictures and some history it it.

It would decrease the woman's power - it portrayed women as nothing but objects who could be broken and abused at the whim of any man. Women with bound feet could not walk very well, and if they had to work in the fields, they would crawl. It has since been outlawed, but there are still women alive who had it done to them.

Answer 2

A self inflicted deformity which is thought to be perceived as beauty

A mother or grandmother typically began binding her daughter's or granddaughter's feet when the child was between the ages of four and seven. The process was started before the arch of the foot had a chance to properly develop. Binding usually started during the winter months so that the feet were numb, meaning the pain would not be as extreme.

First, each foot would be soaked in a warm mixture of herbs and animal blood. This concoction caused any necrotised flesh to fall off. Then her toenails were cut back as far as possible to prevent ingrowth and subsequent infections. To prepare her for what was to come next the girl's feet were delicately massaged. Silk or cotton bandages, ten feet long and two inches wide, were prepared by soaking them in the same blood and herb mix as before. Each of the toes were then broken and wrapped in the wet bandages, which would constrict when drying, and pulled tightly downwards toward the heel. There may have been deep cuts made in the sole to facilitate this.

This ritual would be repeated every two days, with fresh bindings. Every time the bandages were rebound they would be pulled tighter making this process continually painful. The most common ailment of bound feet was infection. Toenails would ingrow and could lead to flesh rotting, occasionally causing the toes to drop off. Disease inevitably followed infection meaning that death could result from foot binding. Occasionally, the ball of the foot would grow directly into the heel. As the girl grew older, she was more at risk from medical problems. Older women were more likely to break hips and other bones in falls and were less able to stand up from sitting.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:FootB...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:A_HIG...

Answer 3

Im not a woman, but footbinding was something the chinese did to women who dated high-powered men. The feet were bound, and the women were crippled.